Arizona Unit 8 Elk hunt

Blank · Nov 18, 2006

Excitement is building, and I can't wait for this next week to pass. Cleaning and packing equipment this weekend and getting ready to leave. My oldest son will tag along to help out, and we will arrive early and scout for a couple days, then hunt hard for the duration. Thanksgiving dinner for us will probably be a cold quarter-pounder w/ cheese behind glasses and a tripod!

Any of you Unit 8 deer hunters have any recent elk stories, or recommendations for this Arizona elk rookie? Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, but I am bringing extra tires, chains, tow straps, and Hi-Lift. Good luck to any of you that will be hunting, also.

Any MM members running into a white Ford F-150 with Idaho plates, feel free to stop and visit. Probably have an extra soda or barley pop to share, and enjoy meeting new friends anytime.

High5 · Nov 18, 2006

Good Luck Blank!
I am also packing & excited as I have a Unit 1 late tag.

manny15 · Nov 19, 2006

Unit 8 Elk

Overview: Approximately 95 percent of the unit is public land administered by the US Forest Service. Ponderosa pine is the main tree composition in the higher elevations above 5,000 feet with scattered oak. Mixed confer type is most common on Bill Williams Mountain and pinyon pine and juniper vegetation type in lower elevations.

Water sources consist of mainly man-made lakes and stock tanks. The Verde River is located at the southern most end of the unit.

Sycamore Canyon, located on the east boundary, is designated wilderness. Access is very limited into the canyon but a few roads allow access for specific points. There are several small mountain knolls throughout the unit along with several canyons on the west and south boundary. Most roads are on the Kaibab National Forest map. Access is fairly good with two-wheel-drive, but poor weather could cause hazardous conditions that would require four-wheel-drive operations.

The elk population over the last year has been stable. The survey results from 2005 were 33 bulls per 100 cows. The calves were 50 per 100 cows. The outlook for bulls to harvest is promising due to the fair weather conditions and favorable recruitment in past few years. Still, large bulls may be difficult to find. Canyon areas are your best bet to find them. The hunt success has been good over the past few years and last yeas hunt were exceptionally well. Last years rifle bullhunt success was 24%, Archery bull hunt success was 43%.
Expectations of hunt success should be close to last year but with less older age class bulls. There should be plenty of 2-3 year old bull available. All cow hunts look favorable.

Area: A good area to find elk is south of Bill Williams Mountain, off Road 108 and122. It transverses through three topography and habitat types. Summit Mountain, Morgan Mountain and Round Mountain are consistent areas where a number of elk are harvested each year. They are areas of higher elevations. Popular areas to scout for elk would be Barney Flats, Coleman Lake area, and Garland Prairie. All areas are on the Kaibab National Forest. Check local forest map.

Some lower elevation areas provide glassing opportunities in several side canyons. This year has been a very dry year. Scouting for available waters would help you locate areas of high elk density if dry conditions persist. If a good monsoon season occurs, this may distribute the elk more commonly throughout the unit Early cold weather and snow that might come in October can play a role in the herd movement prior to rifle elk season. Most often they migrate to lower elevation within the unit to the south and southwest.

youngblood · Nov 19, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Nov-19-06 AT 09:16PM (MST)[p]I can send you a PM if you still need help. Saw an awesome bull while archery deer hunting with unique upturned sixth points. They almost touched the fifth points. All areas suggested so far are good. Let me know if you're still looking. Good luck.

Blank · Nov 19, 2006

M15: Thanks for the post. I hope all of the AzG&F info is good. I read that with mixed emotions, as everyone else can get the same read off their website. Will just have to see what Lady Luck deals out.

YB: Anything you might provide would help, I'd appreciate the info. Most people have been good about congrats and pep talks, but short on any real info. I'm thinking about going to the center of the unit and hunting out like the spokes of a wheel; different direction every day until we find the least people and most elk.

I have always found that the harder I work at it, the "luckier" I seem to get.

No matter what the result, it will have been a great year just to have the opportunity to come to Arizona twice. Great State!

manny15 · Nov 19, 2006

This is true, just thought if you know where the greater concentration of elk were you would have a starting point...

SunsFan · Nov 20, 2006

manny15,

Any possiblity of getting your run down for unit 7W? On the AZ fish and game website I found the general info. for the unit but yours seems more specific and up to date. Could you please let me know how to find it (or post it here)?

Thank you,
Jason

manny15 · Nov 20, 2006

Elk
NOTE: ALL ELK HUNTS IN UNIT 7 ARE DESIGNATED EITHER 7 WEST (7W)OR 7 EAST (7E).

Overview: Elk occur throughout most of Unit 7. Typically, they are not found in open low elevation grasslands north and east of the Peaks.

During most of the hunts, elk are on summer range. The highest densities of elk on summer range are usually at elevations above the pinyon-juniper habitat type. However, elk are sensitive to food availability and will move to lower elevations if summer rains improve forage conditions there.

Burned areas appeal to elk but the animals usually abandon such open sites after the first day or two of the hunts.

Elk will normally stay on summer range until significant snowfall (18-24?), pushes them out onto the winter range on the western and northern portions of the unit. This seldom takes place before late November.

Due to concerns over aspen regeneration in unit 7, and particularly 7-E, elk densities have been lowered over the past 10 years. Due to lowered elk densities in 7-E, the lowest number of tags ever given in 7-E will occur in 2006.

Conversely, the highest number of tags for 7-W will occur in 2006, because the elk densities have not dropped equal to that in 7-E.

Areas:

7-E: Areas to scout out include the Hochderffer Hills, White Horse Hills, Saddle Mountain and west and north of Maverick Butte. As stated above, with the current lower elk densities in 7-E, scouting prior to your hunt will be key in being successful.

7-W: Government Prairie, around Sitgrieves and Slate Mountains, out on the lower elevation hills to the west and the southwest corner of the unit near Williams are good places to start. Again, scouting prior to your hunt will be key in being successful.

SunsFan · Nov 20, 2006

Manny15, thank you the the information.

Blank, good luck.

We will be hunting bulls in 7W for my uncle. Heading out tomorrow for scouting and will be spending the duration if necessary.

The Old Farmers almanac called for snow this November but they got it wrong so far. Hopefully, the conditions will still be okay for a good hunt. This is our first time hunting the unit.

youngblood · Nov 20, 2006

Blank - I sent you a PM. Let me know if you have any more questions.

BIGGELKHUNTER · Nov 20, 2006

blank I sent you a e-mail Joe

Hornseeker · Nov 20, 2006

Good Luck Joel, Cant wait to hear your story and see pics of a nice bull!

Ernie

predator · Nov 20, 2006

Joel- YOU SUCK!!! J/K, big buddy. Give me a call when you blow through...my turn to buy breakfast.

Gimpy

TagLine · Nov 20, 2006

Blank, I sent ya a PM, Hope it helps ya out

Tagline

Blank · Nov 20, 2006

Everyone: You have all been great to visit with, and I sure do appreciate the info I received. Like I told one person, the tips I got will certainly help me get started, and are safe with me. If any of you need any kind of input for SE Idaho or western Wyoming, just ask and you can be assured of an answer.

Just finished helping cut up a big old cow elk my hunting partner brought over last night; man, that's some good meat. With three of them down so far this year, the freezers look like elk heaven!

Pred - I'll call around 0900, and see if you're free. Same gameplan as last time work OK?